Round 18: Bulldogs v Knights preview
All to play for at the bottom of the table
Desperation day arrives for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the Newcastle Knights on Sunday afternoon as they fight to keep their seasons alive at Accor Stadium.
Sitting in 15th position with the worst for-and-against differential in the league following five wins from 15 matches, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs will be aiming to atone for a horror showing prior to the bye.
Suffering a humiliating 48-10 thrashing at the hands of the Sharks a fortnight ago, coach Cameron Ciraldo has responded with several changes headlined by Khaled Rajab staring in the halves at the expense of Karl Oloapu, along with Ryan Sutton, Harrison Edwards and Jackson Topine coming onto a new-look bench.
Winning nine out of 16 clashes against the Knights over the past decade, the Bulldogs have underwhelmed at Accor Stadium this season with two wins from six appearances.
Coming off three straight losses to languish in 14th position with five wins and a draw from 15 matches, the Newcastle Knights will need to perform to have any chance of mounting a late season surge towards September.
Going down 20-12 to an undermanned Panthers side last Saturday away from home, coach Adam O'Brien has been dealt a blow with Dane Gagai succumbing to a foot injury which sees Enari Tuala come into the side, while Lachlan Fitzgibbon returns in place of Dylan Lucas in the second-row after being cleared following a concussion.
Holding a below average record at Accor Stadium with four wins from ten visits over the past decade, the last time the Knights defeated their weekend opponents at the venue occurred during the 2013 finals series.
Last meeting: Round 20 2022 - Knights 10 Bulldogs 24
Who to watch: Gaining plaudits as a rare bright spot in an otherwise horrible performance prior to the bye, Bulldogs legacy forward Kurtis Morrin will be determined to have a similar impact on Sunday afternoon. Backing up his first starting appearance in the loss against Cronulla, the 23-year-old nephew of Brad Morrin, the mid-2000s depth forward, has shown glimpses of promise in ten appearances since debuting midway through last season. Currently without a contract beyond this season, a strong showing could see Morrin emerge as an in-demand prospect for the Bulldogs and rival clubs alike.
Cementing a place in first grade off the back of ten tries in 11 matches during the first half of the season, Greg Marzhew will have his sights set on breaking a month-long try-scoring drought. Developing into a formidable player with the ball in hand after making the move to Newcastle as part of a swap deal with the Titans over the off-season, the 26-year-old has produced 94 tackle breaks to go with 198 running metres on average each week. Returning to first grade last weekend after failing to meet team standards following the loss to Brisbane, a strong showing from Marzhew will go a long way towards getting the Knights over the line for a sorely needed win.
Favourite: The Knights are favoured to get the job done in a do-or-die prospect for both clubs.
My tip: While both teams have lost three straight matches either side of their first and second byes, the greater defensive resolve shown by the Knights should be the difference at the end of 80 minutes. Knights by 10.
